Hackers steal medical data, putting patients and organizations at risk

Hackers are constantly finding new ways to attack and steal user data. The information that is most commonly compromised is names, social security numbers, home addresses, dates of birth, and credit card numbers. However, hackers often steal medical information, which is just as, or even more, dangerous than other types of data.

The company Carbon Black has published a reportthat shows how hackers are using stolen medical data to their advantage.

Carbon Black notes, in its report, four different types of information theft:

• Healthcare data theft: Hackers use these attacks to steal documents, such as medical licenses, and steal the identities of doctors. They then sell the stolen data on the dark web. This information usually costs around $500.
• Hacking a user's login information to an insurance company: Hackers can steal credentials and sell them. The buyer can then take over a victim's identity to claim insurance.
• Theft of health insurance cards and medication labels.
• Theft and use of medical information of patients, who are in critical condition, with the aim of blackmailing them for money.

According to the report, 83% of healthcare organizations surveyed said there had been an increase in attacks in the past 12 months. 45% had experienced attacks aimed at destroying their information.

Even after strengthening their practices, most organizations do not consider themselves fully secure.

With new technologies, medical organizations have access to a huge amount of patient data. This makes them an attractive target for hackers, since an attack on such an organization can give them access to millions of pieces of information.

With the increased adoption of advanced medical and IoT devices, attacks in the healthcare sector are on the rise. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that organizations lack specialized security and do not invest in cybersecurity programs.

Healthcare companies and organizations should take the results of this report seriously and mobilize to protect their systems. As they say in the healthcare sector, prevention is the best cure. Therefore, all organizations should take care of the security of their data before it is too late. An attack could have an impact on the health of many patients.